Hair curler with detachable brush means



June 22, 1965 BOLINGER 3,190,296

HAIR CURLER WITH DETACHABLE BRUSH MEANS Filed NOV. 1, 1962 m N- m cf$o as INVEN TOR. 650/265 N051. BOL/NGER ATTUR/VEY United States Patent 3,1903% HAIR CURLER WETH DETACHABLE BRUSH MEANS George Noel Boiinger, Shelbyvitle, llll., assignor to Sta- Rite Ginnie Lou, The, Shelhyviiie, lilL, a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 1, 1962, Ser. No. 234,760 lairns. (Cl. 132-41) This invention relates to a hair curler and more particularly to that type of curler commonly known as a brush roller.

For a number of years brush rollers have been sold in large quanities for use by women in rolling curls on the head. Such rollers usually are formed of a bristle body around which is arranged a coil spring extending from end to end of the body with a meshed covering thereon of somewhat smaller diameter than the bristles so that the latter project therethrough for engagement with the hair. In using these devices, a strand of hair is separated and brushed out to its end with the brush roller to straighten out the hair, whereupon the strand of hair is wound on the roller into close proximity with the scalp.

The rollers usually are provided with a bail which is snapped shut after the curl is wound to the head. The parallel side arms of the bail usually frictionally engage the hair on the roller to prevent the unwinding of the hair, although sometimes securing devices such as bobby pins are used to prevent the hair from unwinding. Brush rollers of this type have been highly successful but they are extremely uncomfortable to wear, especially when sleeping, because of the pronounced tendency of the bristles to abrade the scalp. More recently curlers of this type have been formed of soft spongy plastic material such as polyurethane or cellular polyethylene. Such rollers are quite comfortable to wear at night, but they provide no brush means for brushing out a strand of hair and to frictionally engage the hair to facilitate the initial winding of the strand on the roller.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a novel type of brush roller wherein a brush of small diameter is arranged in a longitudinal groove in an electric spongy roller of the type referred to, having novel means for attaching the brush to the roller, the bristles of the brush extending a short distance from one side of the roller for engagement with a strand of hair to be wound thereon.

A further object is to provide a brush roller of the type referred to wherein a brush is provided with end portions turned into the roller to be held thereby to position the brush in the groove, the elasticity of the roller effectively holding the brush in position and providing for the easy removal of the brush for cleaning or replacement.

A further object is to provide such a brush roller wherein the roller is provided with an axial opening receiving the inturned extremities of the wire or other body of the brush, the elasticity of the roller being depended upon to hold the brush in position while the roller is endwise deformable to release the inturned ends of the wire body of the brush to facilitate a removal and replacement thereof for the purposes stated.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the drawing 1 have shown one embodiment of the invention. In this showing FIGURE 1 is a face view of the device;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal sectional view on line 22 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view on line 3-3 of FIGURE 1.

Referring to the drawing, numeral 16 designates the roller body of the device which is formed of relatively soft spongy elastic material such as plastic, for example, polyurethane or cellular polyethylene. The roller is pro vided in one side thereof with a longitudinal groove 11 shown in the present instance as extending from end to end of the roller and of uniform cross section. The roller is provided with an axial opening 12 of substantial diameter as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3.

In the groove 11 is arranged a brush indicated as a whole of the numeral 14. This brush is preferably of the type having a spirally twisted central wire body 15 between the wires of which are clamped bristles 16, which because of the form of the body 15, assume a spiral form. As shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, the bristles 16 extend beyond the normal cylindrical surface of the roller 10 to engage a strand of hair.

The bristles 16 preferably extend from end to end of the roller 10, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. The wire body 15, however, extends substantially beyond the limits of the bristles, such extended ends being turned inwardly radially over the ends of the roller 10, as at 18, and terminating in longitudinally extended extremities :19 engaged in the opening 12 of the roller. These ends 19 obviously retain the brush 14 in operative position.

The roller is preferably used in conjunction with a bail indicated as a whole by the numeral 22, and such bail per se may be conventional. The bail comprises parallel side arms 23 spaced from the roller '10 for a purpose which will become apparent. The bail further includes end cross members 24 and 25, extending across the ends of the roller 10.

A rod 26 extends through the opening 12 and beyond the ends of the roller 10 and is provided at one end with a split yoke 27 receiving the cross member 24- to form therewith a hinge whereby the bail is adapted to swing upwardly and outwardly from the roller 10 about the axis of the cross member 24. The other end of the rod 26 is provided with a slot 30 to receive a finger 31 integral with the cross member 25. A finger piece 32 facilitates movement of the cross member 25 to snap the finger 31 into and out of the slot 30. The bail 22 is formed of a solid molded plastic having an appreciable degree of resiliency, and the finger 31, being thin, readily may be deflected by the adjacent end of the rod 26 to permit it to move into and out of the slot 30.

Operation The plastic body 10 is formed in any suitable manner and the groove 11 may be molded or cut in the surface of the roller. The brush 14 is manufactured in the form shown in FIGURE 2 with the projected ends of the wire bent to form the radially inwardly extending portions 18 and longitudinal portions 19. As previously stated, the

roller 19 is soft and elastic and is readily endwise deformable. To attach the brush 14 to the roller, it merely is necessary to book one of the ends 19 into the opening 12, whereupon the opposite end of the roller 10 is pressed inwardly until the portion radially inwardly of the groove 11 has its extremity clearing the adjacent end 19. The brush is then moved into the groove 11 and the deformed end of the roller 10 is released to expand to its normal length, as shown in FIGURE 2. The end portions of the roller 19 thus engage both wire portions 13 and 19 and the brush will be firmly held in its groove.

It is preferred that the device be used with the bail 22 and rod 26 as shown. After the brush has been assembled relative to the roller, the rod 26 is inserted through the opening 12, whereupon the finger 31 may be snapped into the slot 30.

In the use of the device, the bail is opened and may be entirely removed, if desired, during the winding of the curl. When a strand of hair has been separated, the

bristles 16am engaged with the strand near the scalp and move downwardly along the strand to comb the hair.

'With the brush engaging the hair strand near its end, the roller then may be rotated to wind the strand of hair around the roller. The frictional engagement of the rush with the strand of hair facilitates the initial turn of the'hair on the roller, whereupon the roller readily may be rotated to wind the strand of hair until the roller is close to the scalp. v

In practically all instances, because of the fact thatthe brush 14- occupies only a small portion ofthe circumference of the roller,a bare portion of the roller will engage the scalp Without contact of thebristles with the scalp. If the bail has been removed it then. may be replaced as referred to above in the assembling of the device. I The space at each side of theroller Within the'longitudinal arms 23, accommodates the thickness of the roller, and since the bail is formed of a plastic material having an appreciable degree of elasticity, the arms 23 may bulge outwardly as may be necessary according to the thickness of the hair wound on the roller.

Ordinarily the frictional engagement of the arms 23 with the hair will prevent reverse rotation of the roller, and thus the hair is prevented from unwinding. It will be noted that the axial opening 12 is substantially larger than. the rod 26. This opening therefore is adapted to receive one arm of a fastening device, the other arm of which may extend over or through the hair wound on the rollerto assist inpreventing the unwinding of the strandof hair. Obviously the bail and rod 26 are rotatable in terial'having a substantial degree of elasticity and provided' with a longitudinal groove in the surface thereof, a brush unit including a rigid body and bristles projecting therefrom arranged in said groove with said bristles projecting beyond the surface of said body of material, for engagement with a strand of hair, said rigid body having ends lying beyond the ends of said body of material. and

turned longitudinally .thereinto to be engaged thereby to hold said brushin said groove, said body of material beendwisedeformable to release the ends of said rigid body therefrom. l

2. A hair curler comprising a roller of relatively soft spongy elastic material provided in the surface thereof with a longitudinal groove, a brush unit having a wire endwise deformable to release said extremities of said wire body from said roller.

3. A hair curler comprising a roller of relatively soft spongy elastic material having an axial opening therethrough and a longitudinal groove in a surface portion thereof, a brush unit comprising a wire body and bristles carried thereby lying in said groove, said bristles project- 'ing beyond the surface of said roller for engagement with the openingflZ, and accordingly the arms 23 are free to occupy any diametrically opposite positions relative to the a strand of hair, said wire bodyextending radially in- .wardly over the ends of said roller and having extremities turned longitudinally into'said axial opening, said roller being endwise deformable to'release' said extremities of body and bristles carried thereby, said bristles lying in One of the features of construction lies in thefact that inaddition to ease of assembly, the brush 14 may be readily removed for cleaning or replacement. To remove the brush, it merely is necessary to pull longitudinally of the roller one of the radially inturned portions 18 while pressing on theadjacent roller end to deform it longitudinally inwardly to clear the adjacent wire extremity 19;

said groove and extending radially outwardly beyond the surface of said roller to engage a strand of hair, said rigid body within said groove lying radially inwardly of the surface of said roller, said'rigid body, beyond the ends of said roller,extending* radially inwardly over such ends of said roller and having extremities turned into said axial opening, said roller being endwise deformable inwardly for the releasing of said extremities of said rigid body from said axial opening and from said'roller for the removal of said brush unit.

5. A hair curler according to claim 4 wherein said rigid body of said brush unit is in the form of spirally twisted wires between which said bristles are gripped within the limits of the length of said roller, said wires, in those por- It is to be understood that the form of the invention 1 shown and described is to betaken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in. the shape, size and arrangement .of parts may be made as do not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A hair curler comprising an elongated body of a mations thereof beyond the end of said roller, being free of bristles References Cited by the Examiner v UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,603,560 10/26 Skinner 15-206 2,135,612 11/38 Bowyer 13233 2,244,068 6/41 Kay 132123 2,569,908 10/51' .Twitty 132120 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner. 

1. A HAIR CURLER COMPRISING AN ELONGATED BODY OF A MATERIAL HAVING A SUBSTANTIAL DEGREE OF ELASTICITY AND PROVIDED WITH A LONGITUDINAL GROOVE IN THE SURFACE THEREOF, A BRUSH UNIT INCLUDING A RIGID BODY AND BRISTLES PROJECTING THEREFROM ARRANGED IN SAID GROOVE WITH SAID BRISTLES PROJECTING BEYOND THE SURFACE OF SAID BODY OF MATERIAL, FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH A STRAND OF HAIR, SAID RIGID BODY HAVING ENDS LYING BEYOND THE ENDS OF SAID BODY OF MATERIAL AND TURNED LONGITUDINALLY THEREINTO TO BE ENGAGED THEREBY TO HOLD SAID BRUSH IN SAID GROOVE, SAID BODY OF MATERIAL BEENDWISE DEFORMABLE TO RELEASE THE ENDS OF SAID RIGID BODY THEREFROM. 